Everything's Changing
by Hearttate17
Summary: Five years after graduation, everything's changing. NH, JP, some BL, a few OC. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Haley looked at the time. 7:15 seemed way too early.

"Good morning, little one," she said while rubbing her growing tummy. After being tempted to hit the snooze button, she rolled out of bed.

As she stepped into the shower, Haley thought about how her life had developed. She was married with two kids and one on the way. She was only 23. It seemed unbelievable how so much could happen and so little time. Most people would consider going to college and raising children impossible, but not Haley. She just thought of it as a challenge. She successfully made it through and was currently in her first year as a music teacher at Tree Hill High School.

Haley spun her nine month pregnant body around when she heard the bathroom door open and close. She saw a silhouette through the shower curtain and knew it was him. She was about to peak out, when Nathan stepped in the shower with her.

"Good morning," he said before kissing Haley's forehead and stomach.

"How was your run?" Haley asked while lathering the wash rag.

"Great," Nathan began, "I ran to the café. Karen and Lily were working hard on decorating the place for the dinner tonight. Karen told me a bit of information. Lucas is coming home for three weeks."

"Seriously? Oh, Nathan, I'm so excited. He hasn't been home since…," Haley paused, "Grace's birth? Is that right? Has it really been three years?"

"Wow. I guess that's right. Karen said he'll be flying in early next week," Nathan said while turning off the water.

"I wonder if he'll bring her," Haley questioned as she grabbed the light blue towel.

"We'll see. I'm going to go down stairs and get breakfast going," Nathan replied as he pulled up his boxers.

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"Grace, Jamie—time for breakfast," Haley called up the stairs to her two children. Haley waddled back to the kitchen once she heard the sound of little feet running toward the steps. Nathan quickly placed toast and scrambled eggs on four plates and poured orange juice into the glasses.

First Jamie ran in. Haley noted how he looked more and more like Nathan every day. His dark brown hair was messy from a long night's sleep. The five year old pulled his body onto up the stool and began to devour his breakfast.

A few seconds later, three year old Grace came sprinting through the door. Her curly brown hair bouncing as Haley lifted her onto the stool next to Jamie.

As the family sat down to Saturday morning breakfast, Haley wondered if life would always be like this. It was perfect.

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Nathan had been coaching for the Tree Hill Ravens for two years now. He never thought that Tree Hill High would still be such a big part of his life. He and Haley had been teaching there for a semester now—her in the music department, him in physical education. After Whitey's retirement, Nathan wasn't sure about taking over the position, but with encouragement from Haley and Whitey himself, Nathan got the job.

Today was the first game for the Ravens. It was just a scrimmage, but it was still important. After breakfast, Nathan kissed his wife and kids and headed off to the game.

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"Thank you so much, Karen, for agreeing to watch Jamie while Grace gets fitted for her dress," Haley said while sliding open the minivan's door.

"No problem, Haley," Karen said while Jamie hopped out of his seat. "There are some cookies in the back of the café, Jamie. Lily should be back there." Jamie sprinted through the café door.

"So Nathan told me that Lucas is heading back to town tomorrow," Haley said while climbing back into the van.

"Yep, his plane will get in on Monday. Lily is so happy to see him. We were just in New York City in June to visit him, you know, but that seems like so long ago," Karen said as she stood on the curb talking with Haley.

"Is she coming along?" Haley asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. He keeps pretty quiet these days about romance, and I couldn't get an answer out of him. God, I miss him. I'm sure you and Nathan miss him too. Everyone does. Well, I better go before Lily and Jamie eat today's special," Karen said as she stood on the curb talking with Haley.

"Not everyone misses Lucas," Haley said to herself as she pulled away toward the familiar boutique down the street.

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"Aunt Peyton!" Grace screamed as she ran toward the thin blonde reading bridal magazines.

"Gracie! How is the most beautiful flower girl in the entire world?" Peyton asked while scooping up Grace in her arms.

"Good," Grace said before she was distracted by the hors dourves sitting on a nearby table.

"Hey, mama," Peyton smiled while rubbing Haley's belly.

"Hi. How are all the final touches coming on the wedding?" Haley asked her friend.

"They're going well, for now. Jake is pretty calm, and so am I. Jenny is being such a big help. She's so excited. Did you know that on Friday, the same day Jake and I get married, the adoption will be official, and Jenny will be mine?"

"Oh, Peyton, that's great," Haley said while hugging the blonde, "By the way, where's the owner of the place?"

"Late—as usual," Peyton said while rolling her eyes.

Soon the store's door flew open and in walked the brunette bombshell Brooke Davis.

"Okay, people. We have a flower girl dress to make!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hey Brooke, a little tardy today aren't we--," Peyton began.

"I don't want to hear it. Not today," Brooke snapped back.

"And a little crabby," Peyton commented.

"No, no Gracie. Don't touch Aunt Brooke's display," Haley scolded her daughter who had climbed her way up onto the window case. "Brooke, what's up?"

"I just heard the most infuriating news. Lucas is back. Well, guess he's not back yet, but he will be soon—," Brooke paused for a response.

"Really," Peyton spitted out, "I didn't think he'd come back after things ended with us…with both of us," Peyton said turning to Brooke.

"I know. He ripped out our hearts P. Sawyer, but he won't do it again," Brooke assured Peyton.

_It had been three years since Lucas left Tree Hill. He left because of two reasons—Brooke and Peyton. Lucas and Peyton ha__d been dating for over two years__ and it was serious. They would have their little fights, but soon the little fights led to big fights. One night, it was too much. Lucas walked out of their apartment during a fit of rage. When crossing the street to head to the __River Court__, he spotted Brooke's VW Beetle parked outside a bar. He was curious, so he went in. There in the bar, he found Brooke laughing, a little tipsy, of course, with Bevin. Lucas walked up to her and pulled her out to the parking lot. _

_"I love you," he said, "I made a mistake. With Peyton, I mean. It just isn't the right girl for me. I know that now. It's you Brooke—it's always been you," Lucas poured his heart out._

_It was tempting. Brooke would have lied if she didn't say it was. She had once loved Lucas, but had been burned too many times. She remembered those months of coldness to Peyton. She needed Peyton and wouldn't do that again. _

_Sure Brooke had been drinking, but not too much that she didn't remember what happened. The next morning Brooke went to Peyton and told her what Lucas Scott had told her. Peyton was furious and kicked Lucas out after a blow out that lasted two days. Neither had seen him since. _

"Who do you think he's going to "love" this time?" Brooke asked. Peyton shrugged.

"Neither of you," Haley replied.

"What do you mean neither of us?" Peyton asked.

"Well, Karen told me a while back that he had a steady girlfriend. Her name is Ava. She's an artist. Karen said they've been living together in an apartment in Manhattan for a year now," Haley informed her friends.

"Perfect," Brooke said with a fake smile. After Brooke had put the finishing touches on Grace's flower girl dress, Brooke asked, "So, what time do we need to be at the rehearsal dinner?"

"Umm…before 5:30 would be great. Karen said everything will be ready to go at the café by then," Peyton informed the maid-of-honor.

After the final touches were made on Grace's navy colored dress, Brooke and Peyton walked Haley and Grace to the mini-van.

"So you think you guys will be able to handle this drama with Lucas all over again?" Haley asked while buckling Grace in her seat.

"I guess we'll have to," Peyton commented.

"Some things in Tree Hill never change," Brooke smiled.

Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews. I have eight chapters ready to go and will keep them coming based on interest. Chapter 3 will hopefully be up tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Peyton! You look amazing!" Brooke squealed as Peyton walked into Karen's Café wearing a black silk cocktail dress and red hot platforms. Her hair was pulled in a bun to the side. Also to her side was Jake Jagielski. He had the biggest smile on his face. Tomorrow he was marrying the girl of his dreams.

Already seated in the café were Haley, Nathan, Bevin, Skillz, Mouth, and Rachel. Karen came out from the back carrying a small cake for later. As Nathan opened the bottle of wine, Lily, Jamie, Grace, and Jenny took their places at a smaller table in the corner.

"Toast! Toast!" Mouth yelled after everyone had their glasses filled.

"Okay, okay, okay," Jake quickly said while standing up. Everyone raised their glasses as Jake began. "To Peyton-for being everything I'll ever need. I love you."

The group sipped their red wine, and Haley her grape juice, before Peyton stood up and kissed Jake on the cheek.

"I have one. But, sorry Jake, it's not for you," Peyton said. The group chuckled as Jake sat down again. "This is for you guys—my friends. You have been there when I needed you and even more when I didn't want you around. Truly, though, I love you all. I can't think of anyone else I want to share this weekend with," Peyton finished.

As the group drank, the door to the café opened.

"Sorry. We're not opened to the public tonight," Karen said before turning to the intruder.

The room fell silent as they looked at the person who had strolled into the party. His blonde hair and blue eyes were all too familiar.

"Lucas," Peyton said.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry chapter 3 was so short. I figured I would put up chapter 4 right away to keep you guys happy!! Thanks so much for the reviews—keep 'em coming!!

Chapter 4

"LUKE!" Lily screamed and went running towards her brother.

"Hey, beautiful," Lucas said scooping Lily up. Karen hugged Lucas while giving him one of those "what in the hell are you doing here" looks.

"I thought you weren't flying in until Monday?" Karen asked.

"I caught an earlier flight," Lucas said while scanning the group. Peyton sat back down next to Jake and grabbed his hand. Brooke looked down at her lap. Haley and Nathan stood up to greet Lucas, followed by Skillz and Mouth.

"We missed you, man," Nathan said while hugging Lucas.

"Haley, you're huge!" Lucas commented after reaching his arms around her, "I feel like I've missed so much."

"You have," Haley said, pointing to James and Grace. Like most people did, Lucas noticed that Jamie was a spitting image of Nathan. When he had left Tree Hill, Jamie was only two and beginning to form sentences. Now he was five starting preschool. And Grace! She was about a month old when Lucas split from Tree Hill. Grace was beautiful. She had long curly sandy blonde hair and big smile—just like her mom.

"God, I missed you guys," Lucas smiled at his best friend.

"You still got game, dawg?" Skillz asked while wrapping his arm around Bevin.

"You better believe it. I could still take you any day, Skillz," Lucas laughed. He then noticed the happy couple sitting at the table. He turned to Peyton and Jake. "Congratulations, guys. Really."

Jake accepted Lucas' congratulations with a handshake, while Peyton showed a quick smile and an even quicker "thank you."

"Hi, Brooke," Lucas nodded.

It took all of Brooke's inner strength to force herself to say, "Hello."

Soon after Karen grabbed his arm and lead him into the kitchen. Lucas explained to his mother that he couldn't wait a whole weekend to see her and Lily. He had grabbed the earliest flight and headed out of New York.

"Lucas, I love you, but what is wrong with you? Coming to Tree Hill the weekend Peyton is getting married," Karen scolded her son.

"Mom, I know, but don't worry. I'll stay clear of the whole event. I'll be busy anyways—with Ava," Lucas said while sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Ava? Ava is here in Tree Hill? Where?"

"She's at the Maple Inn down the street—we'll be staying there," Lucas told his mom.

"The inn? Why don't you come home?" Karen asked.

"Mom, you and I both know our house will be wedding central tomorrow, and I'm telling you—I'm not going near the wedding. I just came for a week to spend time with you and Lily," Lucas assured his mother before the café door closed. "Who was that?" Luke asked.

"Probably the girls. I'm sure they're heading off to the bachelorette party. I'll be heading down later myself. I just have to close up here and drop the kids off by Deb," Karen said.

"Luke," Nathan poked his head in the kitchen, "you, me, Skillz, Jake, and Mouth. Down at the River Court. Right now," Nathan challenged.

"I'm there, little brother," Lucas smirked.

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As Lucas, Nathan, Skillz, Jake and Mouth pulled up to the River Court, a rush of emotions came over Lucas. Two things stuck out in his mind—his first game with Nathan and the night before everyone separated. Lucas breathed in the fresh air and moved his hand against the familiar feeling of the old picnic table.

"So," Lucas began while stepping onto the court, "the girls get strippers and limos and champagne, and we get what…a basketball game. This is almost as bad as Nathan's bachelor party when Tim got arrested." The guys laughed as Jake pulled Lucas to the side.

"Hey man, before we start this game, I just want to know that I don't hold anything against you—because of Peyton, I mean. We were friends and I still think of you that way," Jake said.

"Look, Jake. What happened between me and Peyton," Lucas paused, "I loved her, a part of me always will. But I just didn't think we were right for each other. We were just too good of friends," Lucas replied.

Skillz butted in, "And now who do you have your eyes on dawg? Brooke? She's single, you know."

"I actually do have my eyes on someone. She's pretty and smart—probably for her own good. She's really…something—"Lucas waited.

"Who is it, man?" Nathan asked.

"My girlfriend, Ava."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As Ava Kelly walked out of Maple Inn at 1 AM, she felt a cool fall breeze hit her. Lucas had told her stay put until he got back from seeing his mom, but she couldn't stand it. Here she was in this quaint little southern town. Being a native New Yorker, Ava was intrigued by the opportunities Tree Hill seemed to offer—artistically, at least. She had been painting and sculpting and sketching for as far back as she could remember. Ava's art had generated little buzz until she got wind that a promising new novel needed cover art. She spent a whole week painting her work for "An Unkindness of Ravens" and finally took it into Gasper Publishing House. She was told the author loved her work and wanted to use it. The author, Lucas E. Scott, had just been a name before, but when she met him in person, there were fireworks. They spent a few hours together, then a few hours turned into a few days, and a few days turned into weeks. It was now two years and the couple was rock solid.

Ava swept her light brown hair from her eyes before taking a seat on a park bench on Main Street. There she sat and waited for cars to drive through. But there was nothing.

"Perfect," Ava said to herself before pulling out her sketch book. As she began to draw the deserted downtown, she noticed a large building a ways down with a bright neon sign that said "Tric." Ava decided to investigate. She wasn't sure why she was sprinting; it was almost like the place was calling to her. She knew a masterpiece was waiting.

The building wasn't in terrible shape. It looked a little worn, but Ava could tell it had some life. When she heard the thumping music coming from inside, she could realized it was a club.

"_Lucas didn't tell me Tree Hill had a night life_," Ava thought to herself as she stepped through the door to a large, open room with people, mostly teenagers dancing. Ava wandered around for a while, telling herself that she and Lucas would come back when she wasn't wearing worn jeans, clogs, and a paint-stained t-shirt. Just as she was about to leave, Ava heard familiar laughter coming from one of the private rooms. As she slid closer to the door, a waitress came out through carrying a tray of empty glasses.

"Are you here for the party?" the waitress asked, "Just go ahead inside." The waitress scampered off behind the bar.

Ava stood outside the door for a few more seconds and heard the laughter again. She knew she had heard it before. Ava slowly stepped through the door and saw a room full of women.

Before she could finish scanning the room, she heard, "Ava? Is that you?"

Ava looked to the right and saw the woman whose laughter she had heard.

"Oh my God, Mrs. Scott," Ava smiled. Karen got up out of her seat and gave Ava a quick hug.

"He told me you were here in town, but I wasn't expecting to see you tonight," Karen said.

"Yeah, I was drawing and I saw this place and decided to check it out. I'm sorry I'm interrupting," Ava said.

"No you're not," Peyton began, "Karen, aren't you going to introduce us?"

Karen turned to Peyton and took a deep breath. Peyton, everyone, this is Ava. Lucas' girlfriend."

The room fell dead silent for what seemed like minutes. Haley soon popped up and introduced herself as Lucas best friend.

"Oh, Haley. I've heard so much about you. It's great to finally put a face to the name!" Ava genuinely said.

As Karen introduced the rest of the group, Ava immediately recognized the names Brooke and Peyton. During that long conversion of ex's, Lucas had mentioned both Brooke and Peyton. She knew there was a lot of history there. Ava put on a brave smile. Lucas had been completely honest with her; she knew how he had hurt these two women and she loved him in spite of it.

"Well, it was really great to meet you all. I'm sorry I interrupted. I'm going to get going," Ava said to the party. She then turned to Karen, "I'll see you later."

After Ava had made her way out of Tric, Brooke was about to open her mouth when Karen said, "Brooke, don't even start. Ava is a great person."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Peeeeyyyyytttttoooooonnnnn. Peeeeeyyyyyyytttttooooonnnnnn," Brooke sang. Brooke had been up for a few hours and was now perched on her bed next to Peyton. She and Haley had slept last night at Brooke's apartment.

"What," Peyton said one second before realizing what today was—her wedding day.

Peyton sprung out of the covers and grabbed Brooke arms to pull her up. The two began jumping on the bed giggling uncontrollably. Haley walked through the door.

"Haley, join us!" Peyton yelled.

"I don't think so Peyton," Haley said pointing to her stomach, "Brooke, can I talk to you for a sec?" Haley asked pulling Brooke off the bed.

"I guess I have no choice," Brooke said as Haley dragged her into the hall, "Peyton—get in the shower." Brook turned to Haley, "Tutormom, what's up?"

"This is what's up," Haley said while breathing heavily.

"What?…OH MY GOD, HALEY! Are you in labor?" Brooke screamed.

"Shhhhh….," Haley quieted Brooke, "We aren't telling anyone until after the ceremony."

"What? Why?" Brooke asked.

"Because Peyton has been waiting for this day for years and she deserves it. I don't want to take that away from her," Haley said while pouring a glass of orange juice.

"Haley, this is crazy. I'm calling Nathan," Brooke said while digging for her cell phone in her purse.

"Oh, no you're not. He will just take me to the hospital. I want to be at the wedding," Haley scolded while taking her phone. "We are just going to pretend like everything's fine. We have five hours until the end of the ceremony. Until then, we keep our lips shut," Haley finished as Peyton came through with a towel wrapped around her head.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Brooke said with a smile.

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"Good morning, beautiful," Lucas said while kissing Ava on the forehead. He had room service delivered to the room. It was Ava's favorite—bacon and waffles with extra butter. As Ava opened her eyes and let out a yawn, she noticed a small velvet box on the tray.

"Oh my God," Ava said trying to catch her breath.

"Ava, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else. You bring out the best in me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because you are all I'll ever need," Lucas said before opening the box. Inside was a perfectly cut pear-shaped diamond. "Will you marry me?"

Ava closed her eyes and thought about her life. She remembered meeting Lucas, going on their first date, falling in love with him, moving in with him. The last picture Ava saw was marrying him. She opened her green eyes and said, "Yes."

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As the girls were finishing getting ready at Karen's house, there was a knock on the door. It was Nathan, Skillz, Mouth, and Jamie—all dressed in tuxes.

"We are here to pick up you ladies," Mouth said while stepping through the door.

"Mouth! You look handsome," Brooke said after giving him a peck on the cheek.

"And you look phenomenal," Mouth commented as Brooke spun around. The navy dresses were simple, but were custom made by Clothes Over Bros.

"Hey, Brooke where's Haley?" asked Nathan as James grabbed onto his hand.

"Ummmm… I think she's in the bathroom," Brooke said, "I'll go get her." Brooke scampered off before Nathan could get back to the small bathroom.

Brooke knocked on the locked door. "Haley, it's me." The door opened a tiny bit.

Haley was seated at the end of the bathtub wearing her bride's maid dress. She had her head down and was breathing even deeper than before.

"Haley, this is crazy. I'm getting Nathan," Brooke said as turned to the door.

"Noooooo," Haley quietly moaned, "Please, Brooke. If the contractions get closer before the wedding, we can tell someone, but not until I say it's okay."

"Fine. But if I hear one more moan out of you--," Brooke started.

"You won't," Haley said before pulling herself up and walking out to find Nathan and James.

"There you are," Nathan said as Haley waddled out. Grace came sprinting out of Lily's room with her flower girl dress on. "My girls look beautiful," he said while kissing both.

"Peyton, we seriously have to get going. Do you want to be late for your own wedding?" Karen said to the bride who was in Lucas' old room.

"Peyton! Peyton? Are you in there?"


	7. Chapter 7

WEDDING TIME!! THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS. IF THERE ARE ANY PLACES YOU WOULD LIKE THE STORY TO GO, JUST LET ME KNOW ;)

Chapter 7

"Yeah, Karen. I'm in here with Jenny," Peyton replied. She turned back to the 7 year old girl sitting on the bed. "Okay, Jenny, here are the finalized adoption papers. I thought it would be nice if we opened them together," Peyton said while waving around a long white envelope. Peyton sat next to Jenny and maneuvered her beautiful white dress. She smiled and ripped the letter open. There were a bunch of papers, but it didn't take long for Peyton to find the one that said "the adoption process is now complete." As Peyton read aloud, Jenny slowly reached for Peyton's hand, wrapping her fingers with her mother's.

"I love you, Mom," Jenny whispered.

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"We have fifteen minutes, people! Hurry to your places," Brooke yelled as the group piled out of the limo. The guys quickly walked off to the room where Jake was rehearsing his vows.

"How's everything? Peyton? Jenny?" Jake asked.

"Everything is fine, Jake. The girls look beautiful," Nathan replied.

Just then the music began, Jake, followed by Nathan, Skillz, and Mouth filed out and stood at the front of the church. The church doors swung open. Little Grace came walking down the aisle throwing rose petals. Next came Lily and Jamie followed by Jenny. Once the kids made it down the aisle and sat next to Deb, Karen slowly strolled down carrying a lovely bouquet of red roses.

"You aren't going to pop this kid out on the aisle, are you, Tutormom?" Brooke asked.

Haley just rolled her eyes and walked along the petals.

"I love you," Brooke said after turning to Peyton, "This is it!"

"I love you, too, baby," Larry said after Brooke had started her walk. "I love you so much, Peyton. I just wish your mom and Ellie could be here," he said.

"They are here," Peyton smiled, "And anyways, I have you."

Peyton grabbed her father's arm as the music changed. As everyone stood up, Peyton took a step. Jake looked Peyton in the eyes as she got closer and closer to the altar. When he finally took her hand in his, he felt complete.

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"When I was younger, I always thought life was out to get me. I felt alone most of time. But when I fell in love with you everything changed. You showed me how great life can be. I'm not afraid of anything when I'm with you. We've been through so much together. You are everything to me, Jake. And I promise to love you all the days of my life," Peyton said with tears in her eyes.

"Peyton, you are right. We've been through a lot together. The good, the bad, and the ugly. But I remember something I told you once--that I would come back to you. We somehow found our way to each other again and I thank God for the chances he's given us. We fit, Peyton. Neither of us can explain it, but we are perfect for each other. I love you, Peyton. I always have and I always will.

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"Ladies and gentlemen, may I now present, Mr. and Mrs. Jagielski!"

The music started again as the wedding party paired up and filed out. As Haley and Skillz were walking down the aisle, Haley suddenly stopped.

"Haley, you okay?" Skillz asked.

"Ummmmmm…noooo," Haley moaned.

Brooke and Nathan spun around to see Haley holding onto one of the pews. The pair ran back to her.

"Haley? What's going on?" Nathan asked. Haley just moaned.

"She's in labor," Brooke replied.

"We have to get her to the hospital. Come on Skillz," Nathan said as he and Skillz helped her walk down the aisle.

"What's going on?" Peyton asked when she saw the walking out of the church.

"Haley's in labor!" Brooke yelled.

"Oh, God. Take the limo!" Jake said. Nathan, Haley, Brooke, and Karen all got seated in the limo before it headed off to the hospital.

"Haley, how long have you been having contractions?" Karen asked.

"Mmmmmmm…five hours," Haley moaned. Nathan was by her side and was shocked when he heard this.

"Five hours! Haley, you've been in labor for five hours and didn't tell anyone?" Nathan scolded.

"Brooke knew," Haley said, passing the blame onto her friend. Nathan and Karen immediately turned to Brooke.

"Hey, don't look at me. Haley didn't want anyone to know. She wanted to make it through Peyton's wedding. Well, congratulations, Haley, you did it!" Brooke sarcastically exclaimed.

"Well by the timing of these contractions, you're going to have this baby soon," Karen said as the limo pulled up to the ER.


	8. Chapter 8

HEY EVERYONE! I'M GOING TO BE TAKING A SHORT BREAK FROM THIS STORY FOR A WHILE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SUPER BUSY. I PROMISE I WILL HAVE NEW AND EXCITING CHAPTERS UP BY MARCH 29. AGAIN, THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS.

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Chapter 8

"It's a girl!" Nathan said after bursting through the delivery room doors. He had the biggest smile on his face. "Seven pounds, eleven ounces. Ten fingers and ten toes. She's perfect," Nathan informed Brooke and Karen who had been waiting and were now hugging Nathan.

"Can we see them?" Brooke asked.

"Sure, I'm going to go call my mom. She's still at the wedding reception. I'll be right back," Nathan said pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Hello?"

"Mom, its Nathan."

"Nathan, what is going on?""You have another granddaughter," Nathan told his mom.

"Oh, Nathan," Deb said. "I'm going to get Jamie and Grace and we'll be right down so they can meet their baby sister." Once Deb had hung up, she went running over to where James and Grace were dancing on the dance floor with Lily and Jenny. "Come on Jamie, Gracie. Mommy and Daddy have a surprise for you. Lily—you're coming along, too," Deb said leading the kids to the door.

Peyton, having seen this, caught Deb's attention. "What's up?""Haley had the baby—a girl. I'm taking them to the hospital," Deb said.

"Oh my God! Tell Haley we love her and we'll be up later," Peyton replied.

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"Haley?" Karen asked while peeking her head in the room.

"Come on in," Haley said. Brooke and Karen slowly walked into room. There on the bed, sat Haley James-Scott holding her baby girl. The messy bun on Haley's head flopped around as she rocked the baby side to side.

"Oh, Haley, she's beautiful," Brooke said when the pair got closer, "Hi little sweetie. I'm your Aunt Brooke and I'm going to make you the best dressed baby in Tree Hill," Brooke said while tickling the baby's cheek.

Haley smiled to herself before saying, "Brooke, I'm sorry I put you in the position of hiding the fact that I was in labor. It was a terrible thing to do.""Forget about it, Tutormom," Brooke said leaning over to hug her friend.

"So, did you decide on a name?" Karen asked.

"Yes," Nathan said as he walked into the room and sat on the bed next to his wife and baby.

"But we want to wait until more people are here," Haley said, "Karen, would you call Lucas?"

"Already done," Nathan said, "I gave him a call."

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As Lucas Scott rushed around the hotel room looking for his wallet, Ava woke up from a nap.

"Hey, what's going on?" she asked.

"Haley had her baby, and I'm going down to the hospital," he said lifting up the cushion of the chair.

"Can I come? I want to congratulate Haley myself," Ava said while stretching her arms.

"Why would you want to do that? Haley barely knows you exist," Lucas said.

"Well, when I met her she seemed really nice," Ava said while reaching under the covers.

"You met Haley? When?""Last night. At that place…Tric. I was sketching and I found it, went inside, and there was Haley," Ava replied reaching under the sheets for the wallet that was by her feet.

"She was by herself?" Lucas asked confused.

"No, she was with your mom and Bevin and Rachel and…Brooke and Peyton," Ave finished finally grasping the brown leather wallet.

"Brooke and Peyton… what happened? Because whatever they say--" Lucas started.

"Nothing happened. Anyways nothing they say can stopping me from loving you. I've heard it all before, remember? I'm going to marry you, Lucas Scott," Ava said throwing Lucas his wallet, "Now—can I come?"

Lucas nodded and Ava sprang out of bed at Lucas. The two fell on the floor and exploded with laughter. "_I've met the perfect woman_", Lucas thought to himself.

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"Can we come in?" Lucas asked as he walked in to the hospital room holding Ava's hand. Karen, seeing her son and his girlfriend entering the room, quickly jumped up, while Brooke and Peyton who were seated on the loveseat in the corner stopped their conversation.

"Hey, Hales," Lucas said before leaning down to kiss her forehead. "And who is this?" Lucas asked while looking down at the baby girl in Haley's arms. Nathan lifted Grace and James on the bed.

"Well," Haley began as Nathan sat on the bed next to her, "we decided to name her Hannah Rae Scott."

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	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note:  
Hey everyone! Sorry it has been so long. I had a MAJOR case of writer's block (just like Lucas). It's summer now  
(thank God) and I have had plenty of time to battle through it. I've found that watching old episodes of One Tree  
Hill is the best way to get past it. Anyways, I've written new chapters that will be up soon. Also I have written  
myself an outline so I have a clear direction in the way I want this story to go, and trust me, I have some exciting  
things coming up. Stay tuned!  
Thanks for the support and enjoy!

--

"Brooke? What are you doing out here?" Peyton asked as she sat down on the bench in the front of the hospital. With one look at Brooke's teary eyes, Peyton knew something was wrong with her best friend.

"Um, I'm just emotional from today…you got married…Haley had a baby," Brooke said wiping the first tear to roll down her cheek.

"Are you sure that's it?" Peyton asked. Brooke looked down to the ground and then up to Peyton.

"I just feel…left behind. Haley and Nathan had another baby and you're Mrs. Jagielski. And I'm so happy for you all, it's just that I'm wondering when is it my turn. I've been alone for long enough," Brooke explained.

"And…?" Peyton said—she knew there was more.

"And Lucas is back. With Ava. And they're engaged."

"WHAT!?" Peyton exclaimed.

"The glimmer of the ring on her left hand was the first thing I noticed when they came to see Haley. Everything's changing," Brooke said with defeat. Peyton looked to her friend with shock.

"This changes nothing. You are the most amazing woman I have ever known. You are brave and beautiful and will get past this. This isn't you—moping around. You are better than this and Lucas. Your guy--he's out there Brooke, I know it," Peyton said squeezing Brooke's right hand, "You're my Brooke."

--

"So, how does it feel to be a dad again?" Lucas asked as he and Nathan left the hospital.

"It feels great. It kills me to leave Haley and Hannah though. I can't wait until they can both come home tomorrow. Thanks for taking me home, by the way," Nathan said.

"No problem. Ava went home with my mom, so we are probably going to stay there tonight. Anyways it gives us a chance to talk," Lucas replied.

"I know. So how are things going with you and Ava? She seems great by the way," Nathan said as Lucas drove past the River Court.

"Um, things are going pretty good. We actually are engaged," Lucas smiled.

"What? When did this happen?"

"I asked her this morning. I've had the ring for quite a while and the timing just seemed right. She's great and I love her so much," Lucas said as he pulled in front of Nathan and Haley's house.

"That's great man. I'm so happy for you. Well, I better go relieve my mom of her babysitting duties. See you soon?" Nathan asked.

"Yea. We gonna hit up the River Court tomorrow night?"

"Sounds good. See ya then," Nathan said before slamming the car door shut and heading in the house.

--

"Mom? Ava?" Lucas whispered as he peeked into the dark kitchen. Shortly after shutting the door, he heard laughter coming from the living room. Lucas followed the giggles until he found Karen and Ava seated on the couch.

"Luke!" Ava said jumping up to give her fiancé a quick kiss.

"What have you two ladies been up to?" Lucas asked after sitting on the couch between the two women.

"We've just been drinking tea, watching Conan, talking…about you," Karen said.

That's when Lucas noticed the open photo albums spread across the coffee table. He looked to his mother, who looked down to the floor, and then to Ava, who let out a stifled snort.

"Ahhh, mom," Lucas said covering his face in shame.

"What?" Karen asked innocently.

"It's okay, Luke," Ava said while rubbing his back, "You were, and still are, adorable."

"I think I'm going to cut my losses and hit the hay," Lucas said, standing up and grabbing Ava's hand, "Okay if Ava and I spend the night?"

"Of course," Karen smiled, "Lucas, why don't you come help me get some clean towels for in the morning." Karen led Lucas down the hall to the linen closet and handed him four bright and fluffy bath towels.

"Did this job really require a team effort, mom?"

Karen smiled and rested her hand on her son's shoulder and said, "She's wonderful, Lucas. She's the one."


	10. Chapter 10

"Good morning, wife," Jake said as he walked into the kitchen and gave his wife a passionate kiss, "Breakfast smells great." Jake turned back around from the stove to see Peyton deep in thought staring at her cup of coffee. "Where's your head at, Peyton?"

"I'm thinking about Brooke. I worry about her sometimes, you know. She deserves it all, but right now, she's struggling to get it," Peyton said.

"I once knew a girl who was working to get it all. She _did_ it all and _got_ it all. That girl was you, Peyton. You are the strongest person I know, and if Brooke has even a fraction of the strength you have, which I think she does, everything will be fine," Jake reassured her.

"You're right," Peyton said leaning over to give Jake a peck on the cheek, "as usual." After letting out a quiet sigh and starting to clean up the table, Peyton continued, "So, are you all packed up and ready for the honeymoon?"

"You bet I am," Jake said slurping up the last bit of orange juice in his glass, "My mom will be over at about 11 to pick up Jenny and take us to the airport, and then in only a few short hours will be in Aruba."

--

"Are you ready to go home Haley James Scott?" Nathan asked Haley as he scooped Hannah up from her bassinet. He drove over to the hospital early that morning—he couldn't wait to get his girls home.

"More than you know," Haley said while packing up her bag, "Were Jamie and Grace good last night? I missed them so much." Haley was no strange to missing her kids. Almost a year earlier, Haley and Nathan traveled to London to _finally_ go on their honeymoon. She missed Jamie and Grace so much she called Deb every four hours to check in. Nathan missed the kids too, but he was there to remind Haley that the trip was about them, just them. She knew he was right. The pair barely had time to be a couple in the past five years and it was decided they needed some Haley-Nathan time; not Haley-Nathan-Jamie-Gracie time. In fact, it was there, in London, that Hannah was conceived.

"They were good," Nathan smiled, "They missed you a lot, too, you know. Especially Gracie."

After Hannah had been safely buckled into her car seat and Haley was comfortably seated next to her, Nathan pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

"I'm so glad that Lucas came last night and Ava, too. She seems great," Haley told Nathan.

"She must be great. Last night, on the way home, Lucas told me that he and Ava are engaged," Nathan said.

"What? Why didn't say anything?" Haley questioned.

"Hales, think about it—we had a baby, Peyton and Jake got married, and plus, Brooke was in the room," Nathan explained, "and I don't even know everything that went down in that situation, but I could feel the tension the second Lucas came back to Tree Hill."

"I know; you're right. But I'm still going to have to call and tease him later," Haley giggled as Nathan pulled the minivan into the driveway.

"Home sweet home," Nathan said while shifting into park, "By the way, do you think that we should cancel Jamie's birthday party on Sunday?"

"NO!" Haley exclaimed, "Hannah came a bit early but I'm not going to punish Jamie for it." At that very second Haley heard the familiar screams coming her way.

"MOMMY! MOM! MAMA!" Grace and Jamie yelled as they ran to the driveway.

"Hi, babies! Oh, I missed you both," Haley said as she kissed the pair.

"Mommy! Where's Hannah?" Grace asked while peeking over her mother's shoulder.

Nathan came around and unlocked the car seat from the van and began to walk to the front door. "She's right here, Gracie. Why don't you come in the house with me and I'll let you hold her." Grace didn't wait a minute as she bounced behind Nathan into the house.

"Hey, Jamie," Haley said sliding the van door shut, "I don't want you to think that because Hannah is around you won't get the best sixth birthday party ever." Haley rested her hand on Jamie's shoulder hoping to convince him of what she had just said.

"I know, mama," Jamie smiled, "Don't worry," he finished before sprinting back inside to be with his dad and little sisters. Haley stood there examining the home she and Nathan had bought three year ago when Grace was a baby. They had been so happy to get out of the tiny apartment they had occupied during college, and this small, but cozy two-story home fit them perfectly. Haley loved their home and couldn't imagine life any other way.

--

Brooke had been up for hours. Last night, after she got home from the hospital, Brooke changed into her sweats, pulled a pint of Ben and Jerry's out of the freezer, and plopped down in front of the TV. Of course, there isn't much on past midnight. She flipped through countless channels of infomercials before she reached the channel that ran classic TV shows. Brooke watched old episodes of _Bewitched _and _I Dream of Jeannie _before _The Mary Tyler Moore Show_ came on. She hadn't seen the show in years, but Brooke immediately remembered spending late nights watching it with Peyton. It also didn't take long for Brooke to remember the theme of the show. Mary always had a smile on her face and a quick wit to match—and she was single! Brooke realized that she used to be Mary. She was brave and fearless. She didn't need any man to rely on. She was Brooke Penelope Davis. No one could bring her down.

"Bevin? Hey, it's Brooke," Brooke said after dialing her friend's number, "I'm crawling out of my skin sitting around this apartment," she paused to wait for Bevin's reply, "8 o'clock at Tric. Sounds good. See ya then." Brooke took a deep breath and thought to herself, "_This is the first day of the rest of my life_."

--

"So have you two discussed where you want to get married?" Karen asked Lucas and Ava as they ate lunch at the café.

"Not really," Ava started, "but I would love to get married here in Tree Hill. This place is so beautiful and obviously it means a lot to you, Lucas," she said turning to her fiancé. Lucas smiled at Ava. She was absolutely right. He couldn't imagine the wedding anywhere else, but then he realized there would be problem.

"I would really love to be married here, but Ava, we have to get back to New York. I need to get writing again and you have to get back to your art. Plus we have friends up there. Friends who don't even know we are engaged—," Lucas explained.

"Yes, but you have friends here too and family, I might add," Karen said, "I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

"No you're right," Ava said. She turned to Lucas, "Your mom is right. You have so many friends and memories in this town. Let's get married here."

"What about you? What about your friends and memories?" Lucas asked.

"I can't think of a better place to have a dream wedding than Tree Hill. My friends will come and I will make new memories," Ava argued. She could see Lucas wanted to be married in Tree Hill.

"Are you sure?" Lucas questioned. Once Ava nodded, he said, "Okay then. We're getting married in Tree Hill."

"As soon as possible," Ava added. Lucas cocked his head to the side, wondering where Ava was taking this. "Well, we both are going to be so busy when the summer ends. You will be promoting your new and wonderful book and I will be opening my exhibit at the art museum. There is no better time than the present. We can do this. I say we get married in the next month on…July 7th," Ava finished.

"Ava, you are crazy and impulsive and stubborn and I love it," Lucas said, "Okay. We'll get married in three weeks, here in Tree Hill."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Bevin, here's the plan. We are going to go in, dance a little, drink a little, and find me my future husband," Brooke said while putting on a bright shade of red lipstick.

"Don't you think you should just take the wait and see approach?" Bevin asked as they walked through the door.

"Absolutely not! I've been waiting and seeing too long. I'm taking the offense. I'm going to find him," Brooke explained.

"Okay," Bevin said, "So what does this dream husband look like?"

"He is tall and muscular. He dresses well, but not too well. And he is confident," Brooke said scanning the open space.

"How about that guy?" Bevin asked pointed to a bar, where a man fitting Brooke's description, was seated. She couldn't see his face, but Brooke saw promise, so she strutted over to him, fluffing her hair and pushing up her breasts as she made her way.

"Hi there," Brooke said tapping the mystery man on the back. The man spun around on his bar stool and looked Brooke in the eyes. He wasn't a mystery man after all.

"Owen?" a shocked Brooke said.

"Brooke Davis," Owen said with a smirk on his face. Owen and Brooke briefly dated a year earlier, but broke it off because Owen was moving to Chicago. Brooke was just getting to know and really like him when they ended the relationship. She missed him, but just thought it wasn't meant to be.

"Oh my God, Owen! What you are doing in Tree Hill?" Brooke said giving her ex an awkward hug.

"I, um, moved back here two weeks ago," Owen informed her, "I got an offer here that was hard to pass up."

"And what was that offer?" Brooke asked after taking a seat.

"I own Tric," Owen said before he got up and went behind the bar to make Brooke a drink, "Karen Roe and Deb Scott signed it over to me. I'm back in Tree Hill—for good."

Owen and Brooke spent the rest of the night flirting and even a little kissing, and after some convincing, Brooke went home with Owen.

--

"Happy birthday, Jamie!" Lucas said as he walked into Haley and Nathan's house with his arms full of gifts. Not far behind him was Karen carrying a cake and Ava.

"Uncle Lucas!" Jamie exclaimed as he sprinted to the guests. Not long after everyone had said their hellos, Haley pulled Lucas to the side.

"I guess congratulations are in order," Haley said, squeezing Lucas into a hug.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything before," Lucas apologized.

"No, it's okay. I understand," Haley said, "but you owe me. Congratulations, Ava." Haley, Ava, and Karen went into to the kitchen to, no doubt, talking about the wedding.

"So you and Lucas are getting married in three weeks?" Haley asked "That's great! You know, Ava, I can see that you make Lucas very happy." The conversation was soon interrupted by an out-of-breath Grace.

"Mommy! Aunt Brooke's here!"

"She is! Let's go see her," Haley said grabbing Grace's little hand. This grip was soon undone when Grace bounced into Brooke's arms.

"Aunt Brooke! You're here!" Grace squealed, "Aunt Brooke, I have a sister now!" Grace asked with a slight stutter.

"You do?" Brooke jokingly asked, "So, Gracie, do big sisters still play with Barbies?" After an eager nod from Grace, Brooke handed the little girl a pink box. Grace quickly ran away to open the new toy.

"Tutormom," Brooke said while wrapping her arms around her friend, "How is Hannah?"

"She's great. She's asleep right now but she'll be up shortly," Haley said leading Brooke to the living room, "What's up? I can tell something is up."

"Well, I hooked up with someone last night," Brooke said as she squirmed on the couch. She could barely wait to tell Haley the exciting news.

"Okay…who?"

"Owen."

"Owen-Owen. Your ex Owen?" Really?" Haley asked, "I thought he moved to Chicago."

"He did, but he came back and now he's the manager of Tric," Brooke said, "I don't know, Haley. I spent the entire night with him last night, and all I could think was how much I missed him and how much I want to be with him."

"Brooke?" Haley smiled, "Oh my God. So you are back together?"

"Yep!"

"I'm so happy for you," Haley replied. Haley looked over Brooke's shoulder and saw Lucas and Ava holding hands while they spoke with Nathan. She suddenly remembered their engagement and wondered how Brooke would handle it. "Brooke, there is something you need to know…about Lucas and Ava--," Haley nervously said.

"That they're engaged? I know," Brooke said while looking down at the floor, "It was hard when I found out, but I'm fine. I honestly can say I am fine."

"Haley," Karen interrupted, "Hi Brooke." Brooke smiled and said hello. "Haley, I got the cake out. Would you like to sing now?" Nathan, Skills, Bevin, Lily, Deb, Ava, Lucas, Mouth, Mouth's girlfriend Millicent, Junk, and Fergie were all waiting in the kitchen.

"Yes. I'm going to go grab Hannah," Haley said pushing herself off the couch.

"…Happy birthday, dear Jamie. Happy birthday to you," the group sang to the excited birthday boy.  
"Make a wish, Jamie," Haley said to her son before he blew out the candles. Jamie closed his eyes tightly and puffed out the six tiny flames. Everyone clapped and Haley started cutting the cake. Brooke was about to help Haley when her eyes met Lucas'. He gave her the _"we need to talk" _look, so she slowly walked out to the patio and Lucas followed.

"Hi," he simply said.

"Hi," she replied.

"I need to talk to you about Ava," Lucas said.

"Luke, I know you two are engaged and its fine," Brooke bravely said to her ex.

"Well, it's just that the last time I saw you…," Lucas paused to find the right words, "I did some things I'm not proud of. And I would really like it if you wouldn't hold any of that against me."

"We all do things we aren't proud of. It was wrong of you to hit on me when you were still with Peyton. It was so long ago…," Brooke trailed off, "I would be lying if I said it wasn't hard when I found out that you were engaged. But I don't hold anything against you, Luke."

"Thank you," Lucas said with a smile, "I would really like it if we could be friends again. I don't know if that's too much to ask, but we used to be such great friends."

"I think we can be friends," Brooke agreed.

Lucas slowly reached over to Brooke and hugged her. "I just hope things won't be weird between you and Ava."

"They won't be. As long as things aren't weird between you and Owen," Brooke said.

"Owen--," Lucas started, but was soon interrupted by Nathan, who was holding Hannah, told the pair Jamie was about to open presents.

--


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"I'm going to miss Aruba, but it feels great to be back in Tree Hill," Jake said as he carried two heavy boxes from the moving truck. He and Peyton had been back in Tree Hill for only one day and they were already moving into their new home. Actually, Peyton's old home. Larry had sold the house to them shortly before the wedding. He said that "a middle-aged man like himself didn't need such a big house" and he bought a smaller one only a few blocks away. Peyton was excited for Jenny and Jake to move in and couldn't wait to start their new life together.

"I know! But you know what would be really fun? If we recreated that first night in Aruba every night," Peyton suggested.

"I love the way you think," Jake said before giving his wife a quick kiss on the cheek. Jenny picked up a small box and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Jenny, you're going to take my old bedroom. It's the one up the stairs and to the left; you can move all your stuff up there now if you want," Peyton told her daughter.

Jenny silently walked up the front porch and into the house. While Jake and Peyton were on their honeymoon, she stayed with Jake's mom, but for two days, Jenny went to Charleston to be with Nikki, her biological mother. Whenever Jenny spent time with Nikki, she always came back quiet and cranky. It was something Jake and Peyton had noticed for months now, and it seemed to be getting worse.

A few hours and a lot of boxes later, Peyton, Jake, and Jenny had moved into their home.

--

"We've narrowed the guest list down to 100 people so obviously we aren't going to need a big place," Ava told Karen as she shuffled through her wedding planner.

"I would love to offer the café, but it's just a bit too small," Karen said. She and Ava had been planning the wedding non-stop for days now.

"No, that's fine. Lucas and I were talking about an outdoor wedding anyways," Ava said before taking a sip of her coffee. At that moment, the bell above the café's front door rang and in walked Lucas. He had steered clear of his fiancé and mom when they were in wedding mode, but as he was told last night by Ava, "this is your wedding too and it's time you get involved."

"All right, what did I miss?" Lucas asked.

"We were just discussing an outdoor wedding," Ava said.

"I say we do it. North Carolina in July—you can't ask for better weather. Where could we have it?" Lucas said before answering his ringing cell phone. "Hey Skills, what's up?" Ava got back to her planner, scribbling down notes. She's never been an organized person, but she figured planning a wedding required a certain amount of order. Lucas had given Ava a tour of Tree Hill earlier in the week, so she 

was brainstorming ideas of outdoor locations in Tree Hill. She had written down only two places when she heard Lucas say, "At the River Court? Yeah, I'll be there later." It hit Ava like a ton of bricks—the River Court.

"The River Court!" Ava exclaimed. Lucas had just put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Ava.

"What about the River Court?" Lucas asked.

"The wedding! We could have it at the River Court. Think about it—it's outdoors, there is plenty of room, the view is fantastic. It's perfect!" Ava said. When Lucas had driven her to the court, she knew it meant a lot to him. He had mentioned it was his favorite spot in Tree Hill years ago.

"Oh, Ava. The River Court has always been such a big part of my life. I would love to be married there," Lucas agreed.

"Okay, it's decided then. We will be married on August 7th at the River Court," Ava said with excitement.

--

Author's Note:  
Hello! I'm going to start speeding up time a little bit until we get to Lucas and Ava's wedding. I've always thought  
the River Court would be an awesome place for a wedding in Tree Hill. I'm actually a Leyton fan and I hope they get  
married there on the show.  
I hope Ava is shaping up to be a likable character. I definitely don't want you guys to hate her.  
Also there won't be a lot of Naley scenes, but don't worry--they will have PLENTY of story  
coming up. ;)  
Thanks for reading! I live for reviews!


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